How they qualified: Spain topped Group I ahead of France after winning eight games and drawing just two. They head to Brazil as defending champions.

World Cup Best: Winners in 2010

Germany

Manager: Joachim Low

World Ranking: 2nd

How they qualified: Germany topped Group C with an unbeaten record, having racked up nine victories from their 10 fixtures.

World Cup Best: Winners in 1954 , 1974 and 1990

ARGENTINA

Manager: Alejandro Sabella

World Ranking: 3rd

How they qualified: Argentina mounted a 14-match unbeaten run during qualifying, finishing top of the South American table.

World Cup Best: Winners in 1978, 1986

COLOMBIA

Manager: Jose Pekerman

World Ranking: 4th

How they qualified: Colombia took second place in the South American table, their highest ever finish since the introduction of the current qualifying system. No side in the group let in fewer goals than their 13.

World Cup Best: Round of 16 in 1990

BELGIUM

Manager: Marc Wilmots

World Ranking: 11th

How they qualified: Belgium proved their potential by topping Group A ahead of the likes of Croatia, Serbia and Scotland.

World Cup Best: Fourth place in 1986

SWITZERLAND

Manager: Ottmar Hitzfeld

World Ranking: 8th

How they qualified: Switzerland secured their place at the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil on the penultimate qualifying matchday - topping Group E ahead of Iceland and Slovenia.

World Cup Best: Winners in 1934,1938,1954

URUGUAY

Manager: Oscar Washington Tabarez

World Ranking: 6th

How they qualified: Finished fifth in the South American qualifiers so had to beat Jordan in the play-offs to secure their place in Brazil.

World Cup Best: Winners in 1930 and 1950

CHILE

Manager: Jorge Sampaoli

World Ranking: 15th

How they qualified: Finished in third position in the South American group, just behind Argentina and Colombia, securing automatic qualification to Brazil.

World Cup Best: Third place in 1962.

ECUADOR

Manager: Reinaldo Rueda

World Ranking: 23rd

How they qualified: Ecuador finished level on points with Uruguay but grabbed the last automatic qualifying spot thanks to their superior goal difference (four compared to Uruguay's zero).

World Cup Best: Round of 16 in 2006

IVORY COAST

Manager: Sabri Lamouchi

World Ranking: 17th

How they qualified: Ivory Coast breezed through their opening qualifying group with four wins from their six matches. Afterwards, they beat Senegal to secure their place in Brazil.

World Cup Best: Group stage in 2006 and 2010.

GHANA

Manager: Kwesi Appiah

World Ranking: 24th

How they qualified: Beat Egypt in the final play-off round after topping their group in the previous round, ahead of Zambia.

World Cup Best: Quarter-final in 2010

NIGERIA

Manager: Stephen Keshi

World Ranking: 36th

How they qualified: Topped their group without any defeats and in the play-off they beat Ethiopia.

World Cup Best: Round of 16 in 1994 and 1998

ALGERIA

Manager: Vahid Halilhodzic

World Ranking: 26th

How they qualified: They won five of their six group matches to easily finish top, before beating Burkina Faso in the final play-off round.

World Cup Best: Group stages in 1982, 1986, and 2010

CAMEROON

Manager: Volker Finke

World Ranking: 51st

How they qualified: Cameron beat Tunisia in the play-off round, after topping their qualifying group.

World Cup Best: Quarter-final in 1990.

UNITED STATES

Manager: Jurgen Klinsmann

World Ranking: 14th

How they qualified: Earned a first-place finish in the six-team group, conceding only eight goals and losing just once, and finishing four points above runners-up Costa Rica.

World Cup Best: Third place in 1930.

MEXICO

Manager: Miguel Herrera

World Ranking: 20th

How they qualified: After failing to secure an automatic qualification in the group stage they beat New Zealand in the play-offs.

World Cup Best: Quarter final in 1970 and 1986.

COSTA RICA

Manager: Jorge Luis Pinto

World Ranking: 31st

How they qualified: Costa Rica sealed their ticket to Brazil 2014 in the six-team phase, eventually finishing second behind USA.

World Cup Best: Round of 16 in 1990.

HONDURAS

Manager: Luis Fernando Suarez

World Ranking: 41st

How they qualified: Honduras went on to take the third and last direct qualifying slot in the final six-team phase.

World Cup Best: Group stages in 1982 and 2010.

JAPAN

Manager: Alberto Zaccheroni

World Ranking: 48th

How they qualified: Japan top the Group B ahead of Australia to seal their fifth successive FIFA World Cup appearance.

World Cup Best: Second Round in 2002 and 2010.

IRAN

Manager: Carlos Queiroz

World Ranking: 45th

How they qualified: Iran topped the group ahead of Korea to seal their return to the World Cup.

World Cup Best: Group stages in 1978, 1998, 2006.

KOREA REPUBLIC

Manager: Hong Myungbo

World Ranking: 54th

How they qualified: Korea failed to top the group and they had to wait until Uzbekistan's defeat of Qatar to confirm their second place and direct qualification on goal difference.

World Cup Best: Fourth place in 2002.

AUSTRALIA

Manager: Ange Postecoglou

World Ranking: 59th

How they qualified: Australia were second in Group B with Japan topping the group

World Cup Best: Round of 16 in 2006.

NETHERLANDS

Manager: Louis Van Gaal

World Ranking: 9th

How they qualified: Netherlands cruised into the finals of Brazil 2014, coming through as Europe's joint-top point scorers - alongside Germany - on 28. They finished nine points ahead of Romania, a margin only matched by neighbours Belgium.

World Cup Best: Runners-up in 1974, 1978, 2010.

ITALY

Manager: Cesare Prandelli

World Ranking: 7th

How they qualified: Italy went about things differently for once by taking imperious control of Group B in the European Zone - ahead of Denmark, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria.

World Cup Best: Winners in 1934, 1938, 1982 and 2006.

ENGLAND

Manager: Roy Hodgson

World Ranking: 13th

How they qualified: England finished top of European Group H to reach the World CupTM after securing victory on the final matchday against Poland

World Cup Best: Winners in 1966.

BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA

Manager: Safet Susic

World Ranking: 21st

How they qualified: Bosnia-Herzegovina topped Group G thanks to their notable goal difference, edging them past a Greece side that finished level on points.